CFP: The Undiscovered Country: Science fiction in culture and the canon

There have been several milestones met and passed since Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Grandfather of science fiction, introduced us to extra terrestrial life on Mars. Through science fiction we have engaged our minds and souls in the modern manifestation of philosophy and often crossed the line into technical prophecy.

Wearing the mask of a mere genre in a sea of conventional literature, science fiction has been able to discuss social and scientific taboos long before such open discussion was considered acceptable. With the Internet, fan fiction, cloning, gene splicing, global media, machines on Mars and an all too tangible Big Brother, what frontiers remain for science fiction to explore?

Topics could include:

* Fan communities and their contributions to the genre.* The relevance/obsolescence of science fiction in our modern world.* Understanding the roadmaps of social and technical progress as charted in works of science fiction.* The role of science fiction in the literary canon.* Science fiction as social control.* The technical gap between science fiction and science fact

Nasty invites papers, fiction, or new media presentations on the future of the science fiction genre. Beam over your text based submission by April 15, 2004 to the nasty kids via submissions_at_nasty.cx or a link to your new media presentation to the same address.

kirsten c uszkalo :: PhD Candidate :: General Editor :: English 101 University of Alberta www.nasty.cx Primary Instructor=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-::The warrior must only take care that [her] spirit is never broken::